Petition to the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will have to officially pronounce on it, in accordance with Article 71 of its Rules of Procedure.
On September 20, 2023, Azerbaijani troops completed the seizure of the historical territory of Armenia called Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing its entire population into exile and systematically destroying every trace of their millennial presence, thus being guilty of the use of force, ethnic cleansing, and "memory-cide."
In September 2023 alone, 120,000 Armenians had to abandon everything to escape death and violence from Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh today, Armenia tomorrow
Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani president, is known for his war crimes. He does not hide his intention to also annex the south of Armenia, to create a continuum from Turkey to the Caspian Sea corresponding to the ancient pan-Turkic project. Ilham Aliyev is the son of a former KGB officer and communist leader who ruled the country for over thirty years (1969-2003). He inherited from his father power and his expansionist ambition. His regime is based on corruption and oil money.
Yet, European institutions do not react!
The West is guilty of not assisting a people in mortal danger. Its credibility is at stake. No one publicly denounces the forced exodus of this people and the systematic destruction of their millennial heritage. A regime like Azerbaijan's has no place in the Council of Europe and should be excluded, in accordance with Article 3 of the Council of Europe Statute. Its presence in the Council of Europe gives democratic approval to the Azerbaijani regime, without allowing Europe to exert pressure on this regime. It is therefore a waste and discredit.
Recall that in March 2022, it took less than three weeks to exclude Russia from the Council of Europe after its offensive in Ukraine. However, to date, Azerbaijan has only suffered a symbolic and painless sanction: the suspension of the participation of its parliamentary delegation within the Council of Europe's Assembly.
The vivid pain of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the pogroms of the 1980s-1990s warns us of the imminent danger of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Europe, and particularly the Council of Europe, must go beyond mere statements.
The inaction of Europe must also be denounced
Europe does not react for two main reasons.
First, because the European Union imports gas from Azerbaijan, even though some of this gas is imported by Azerbaijan from Russia, with a large margin. Ursula Von der Leyen goes so far as to declare that Azerbaijan is "trustworthy" in July 2022[1].
The other reason for Europe's silence is the corruption policy of European politicians and the influence-purchasing policy implemented by Azerbaijan for decades. Thus, between 2012 and 2014 alone, the Azerbaijani regime spent 2.5 billion euros for this purpose, according to an investigation published in September 2017, titled "Laundromat," which the Council of Europe confirmed[2].
Action must be taken at all levels to rescue the Armenians, defend their heritage, and protect Europe from the harmful influence of Azerbaijan. The ECLJ acts in this direction with the relevant European and international institutions, and invites you to join its action by signing this petition.
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[1] European Commission, « L'UE et l'Azerbaïdjan renforcent leurs relations bilatérales, y compris leur coopération dans le domaine de l'énergie », July 18, 2022.
[2] Council of Europe, “Allegations of corruption in PACE: Independent External Investigation Body publishes its report”, April 23, 2018.
